EVENT #5: SOVEREIGN CITIZENS (GODSBLOOD)

[aionmods]

Sovereign Citizens

GODSBLOOD

At the height of the Sovereign's moon, Vaeka Lovenskol's execution is announced. Outside of the City Hall, a dignitary of Achamoth is flanked by an entourage of Kenoma, reading the words of Regent from an unfurled letter: Vaeka stands accused to conspiring against the Regent and abetting the fugitive menace known as the Pleroma. Though the details are not made public, rumors spread quickly, some far more wild than the actual truth. The full truth, after all, is something only the Regent's agents and the Pleroma themselves know, and even to them the manner of her exposure is unclear.

Though losing a proud daughter of an influential family, there seems to be little that the people of Godsblood can do besides accept it. After all, they are still a city of the Regent's empire, and for all the freedom they've enjoyed, there are limits. If she was truly aiding the Pleroma, the sworn enemies of the Regent - and in an organized manner, if the rumors are to be believed - can they truly object? Or would challenging the Regent's claim simply invite more death?

As with many things, the families of Godsblood are torn. Tensions are thick for the five days leading up to Vaeka's appointed execution by hanging, with everyone having an opinion and few wanting to go on record talking about it too loudly. As such, the people's frustrations come out in other ways. Bloodites are uncharacteristically unfriendly to strangers in this time, keeping to their own and treating everyone else with overt skepticism.

Those that have arrived as part of the Regent's official envoy, or seen guarding Vaeka, will receive a particularly icy reception. No longer are the Kenoma curious wanderers on personal business. Now, they are here as the hands of the Regent; few of the Godsblood citizens are foolish enough to challenge them outright, but they are ever an honest people.

Early on, the Kenoma and the rest of the Achamite contingent sent with them will be able to take over a jail in downtown Godsblood to hold Vaeka until her execution, clearing out all other Bloodite prisoners and employees in the meantime. This means they have a relatively secure position to guard their prisoner from, which is a good thing; after all, the Regent did outright invite the Pleroma to stop them, and Pleroma are nothing if not stubborn.

EXECUTION DAY

After five agonizing days of waiting and several high visible conflicts between the Pleroma and Kenoma, finally the hour of Vaeka's execution arrives. A gallows is set outside of City Hall, ready to welcome its newest victim, and a massive crowd has gathered in an spirit of anxious anticipation. Some worry that violence may break out in the streets, even without the Pleroma's agitation, but gradually the minutes tick by and the gallows remain empty.

First one minutes passes. Then five. Then fifteen. Slowly, it becomes clear to the people of Godsblood that Vaeka will not be arriving. Are the rumors true? Has she been saved? Have the Pleroma been successful, despite all odds?

As the hours pass and the crowds disperse, Vaeka Lovenskol is not officially reported as either living or dead. Fortunately, Godsblood is a place where information has a way of getting around, whether those in charge like it or not. Some are saying that she was seen being whisked away as if by powerful magic, following a bloody fight at the jail in which she was being held. Where did she go? Maybe her supposed connections to the forest people did her good, some surmise.

The days following Vaeka's failed execution carry a strange and uncertain energy. Where before there was tension and distrust, Godsblood now finds itself in a surreal reality where the Regent's word is apparently not absolute. Then again, do they really want a repeat performance?

QUESTIONS

What is the best way for Aions to travel to Godsblood?
For Pleroma, this is very easy, as they are likely to either already live there or be able to easy take Greentruth's portal. For Kenoma, they may come directly from Achamoth by boat as part of the Regent's envoy or arrive via Eustace's portal which is set up in a shed a fairly long jaunt outside of town. Once there has been some time to get established, Misa will be setting up another portal leading straight to the prison where Vaeka is being stored.

Are the Kenoma permitted by the Regent to kill other Godsblood citizens?
Though the Kenoma are authorized to kill any Bloodites that try to physically fight them, they are expected to keep things clean. The Regent prefers to only punish the guilty, and having the lines be clear will create less of a hassle in the future. Generally, Godsblood is not in a state where physical resistance is likely to happen unprovoked.

Comments

[gravings]

[ She finds his laugh refreshing like an ocean breeze. It almost makes her more suspicious, wondering why someone like this would choose to keep conversing with her. ]

I understand. But I still can't let you get any closer, so...

[ No funny business!! She doesn't go so far as to physically shoo him away, but she watches him closely. ]

Why are you here?

[goldendeceiver]

[ Why indeed? His strength always was more in negotiations than fighting, though most of the Kenoma seem pretty closed off when it comes to chatting. Gray isn't exactly being receptive either.

But she's also not being hostile, and right now that's enough. ]

Curiosity.

[ Though he won't be specifying what he's curious about, and instead moves on to his own question. ]

What made you choose to take on this particular mission for the Regent? Or were you all given specific assignments?

[gravings]

[ It feels like a very specific question, and she has to wonder if there's some strategic intent behind it. The wisest thing to do would probably be to not answer at all, but she finds herself answering anyway, a slave to social pressure. ]

We were assigned. The Regent knows us well, so they probably sent us where they thought we were best suited.

[ That seems like netural enough information... ]

[goldendeceiver]

[ Definitely neutral enough, but it does still give him a better idea why people got slotted into the cities they did. It was strategic on the Regent's part then, huh? Might as well keep this conversation going while he can. These small bits of information might not matter much, but any scraps he can get are better than nothing.

And also... ]

Best suited, huh? Have you done guard duty like this before?

[ He knows that she said he shouldn't underestimate her, but she still does look young. Ernesto has known young guards before this, but that was usually because they were too green to take out into an actual battle.

The Regent has to know the Pleroma won't actually sit still and let this happen without a pretty literal fight. After all, Ernesto is still assuming the Regent set this up as a trap. ]

[gravings]

Um... not exactly.

[ She has to be careful about divulging information about the Kenoma, but she will absolutely talk about her personal shortcomings. She reckons she's only a tiny blip in the grand scheme of things, and if anyone ends up underestimating her then it's probably a good thing? ]

I'm not really good at talking to people, so I'm better off doing a job like this where I can be alone.

[ More specifically, she's not very good at charming and finessing her way into hunting down targets in a populated setting... ]

[goldendeceiver]

[ The response gets another small laugh from him, but there’s something kind of sad about it. It makes sense though, doesn’t it? The Kenoma really digs at your weaknesses, and a girl that thinks of herself as better off working alone seems like the type that would have some sore spots to pick at.

Not that it makes it less sad to hear when laid out this way. ]

It’s kind of dangerous though, isn’t it? Even if you’re someone that can take care of yourself pretty well, there’s some pretty intense people on both sides of this.

[ Not that he’s engaged with most of them personally, but he’s seen and heard enough. ]

Are you really going to be okay?

[ Weirdly? The concern in his voice does sound genuine. It’s going to hit him as very ironic when he later hears what this girl does to Rand. ]

[gravings]

[ This is a bizarre sort of man who has the luxury of worrying about her when so much else is at stake — including his own safety. The look she gives him is openly communicative of that thought, bewilderment tenting her brow. For a moment, she isn't sure how to respond. ]

Um... Why are you asking me this?

[ They're supposed to be enemies and all. If she ends up not being okay, it'll be the fault of him and his allies, almost certainly. ]

[goldendeceiver]

[ It's a fair thing to wonder, especially because he knows she isn't from the first group that he was a part of. He would have remembered his face otherwise. No, she had to have come in later, gotten the story directly from the Kenoma and the Regent, and not have any real sense that this war between them isn't something both sides really want waged.

He doesn't say all that, but his smile is sad. No one should have to wonder why someone would be worried about her, considering-- ]

You might be capable, but you're still pretty young, aren't you? You look like a kid to me.

[ His tail wags slowly. ]

I don't really want to see anyone get hurt in all of this, but it's worse when it's someone young like you.

[gravings]

[ The tail wag... It catches her eye for a moment before she forces her attention back to him. He isn't the first to emphasize her youth, and this time like every time gives her mixed feelings. ]

I think it's a little too late to worry about me that way. I'm already used to looking after irresponsible adults.

[ She should probably sound exasperated, but instead she puffs up a little with hatchling pride. It was her full-time job looking after a hopeless adult, and she'd say she was pretty good at it considering he wasn't murdered on her watch (despite abundant attempts). ]

[goldendeceiver]

[ To really add to that extremely strong dog-vibe he's already got going on, Ernesto also cants his head to the side as he frowns thoughtfully. It'd be one thing if she seemed morose about the past she had to deal with, because it'd make sense with her acceptance of the Kenoma, but the way she seems proud about it... ]

Had to deal with a lot of those where you're from, huh?

[ Or apparently one particularly hopeless one. ]

[gravings]

... Just one. But he was irresponsible enough for three people.

[ She also feels like there are some irresponsible adults with the Kenoma, but Ernesto is free to believe that they're all upstanding and well put together people (if he even can). Anyway. She looks up at him. ]

It's nice of you to worry, but you don't need to. More importantly, please don't loiter around the prison.

[ Begone, cute floppy-eared man... ]

[goldendeceiver]

[ Ah, that gets another laugh out of him. There are a couple of guys on the Pleroma side that have that feel to them, and honestly a few Rhodes Island operators that did too, though he'd been pretty new to the team, and could have read them wrong. Kind of hard to tell now, given... ]

He sounds like a real mess.

[ Was... It's hard to tell if she's using past tense because she's accepted her world is gone, or if something really did happen to him even before coming to this world. Regardless, Ernesto is opting to speak in the present tense intentionally.

The gentle reminder that he shouldn't be here does have him sighing though, and while he doesn't think he's likely to get more out of her without resistance, he figures he can ask one more question before he goes, so he ignores her verbal nudge to leave for a moment. ]

What's your name, señorita?

[gravings]

[ The person in question really was a mess, and she misses him dearly. She doesn't bother with a correction on the present tense, but she feels it like a dull jab.

She wonders a little why this man might need to know her name — maybe there's some kind of name-based magic or curse out there? — but unless this person is a phenomenal actor, she can't detect any malice or artifice to his question. ]

... Gray.

[ SHe really can't be so rude as to leave his question unanswered, whatever the sitation, but she doesn't go so far as to ask for his name in return. ]

[goldendeceiver]

[ Some name-based magic or curse, huh? Maybe it’s normal to assume that of an enemy, though it’s probably not a great idea to give out your name if that’s the case. Gray is in luck though, Ernesto doesn’t know a single curse, and doesn’t have any reason to want to put one on her even if he did. She is obstructing him from saving someone he wants to save sure, but she’s just a kid, and a kid in a pretty rough and life threatening situation on top of all of that.

He’ll eventually hold some animosity towards certain Kenoma, but as it stands right now? Ernesto feels more sympathy for them than anything else. ]

I’m Ernesto. It’s nice to meet you, Miss Gray. Though I wish it was under better circumstances.

[ And even if she’s not going to ask, Ernesto has been foisting his name onto Kenoma whether they want it or not since day one. His tone still sounds genuine in that pleasantry exchange too, and there’s even something wistfully sad about his smile as his tail swings back and forth in a slow arc.

She’d asked him to lave though, and he won’t stick around to make things harder for her. ]

Maybe we’ll meet again under better ones some day though.

[ And with a little nod of his head, he’ll make his way down the street at a casual pace, as if he doesn’t have a care in the world about walking around near an enemy stronghold. ]